programs

Top Cut: A Beef Contest

2017 winning schools and projects

Two Schools Win Beef Competition

New York Agriculture in the Classroom and the New York State Beef Council are pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Top Cut Beef Contest. In this contest students and teachers were exposed to beef production and nutrition with this experiential learning competition where they developed a marketing strategy for a product of their choice and design.

Over forty 6-12 teachersinitially registered their classrooms to participate, and each classroom was equipped with a True Beef: From pasture to PlateDVD, the True Beef Educator Guide, lesson plans,and stickers for their classroom. Every school was paired with a local beefproducer who mentored the students through the processof beef production or supplied the beef necessary for the project. In thishands-on experience, students were exposed to careers in the beef industry and learned about safe food handling practices.

Participants created beef-centric recipes which they made and tested with audiences. Submissions included sandwiches, stews, meatballs, and even jerky. The creativity with this contest was unlimited as students filmed their own commercials and designed websites to market their products. One of the judges, Ken Krutz, Manager of Empire Livestock and Board member of New York Beef Council, said of the entries, "I was amazed at the talent and innovation our youth put into their projects. It was an honor to be a judge for the Top Cut Beef contest."

Thirty entries were submitted for judging by a panel of beef producers and industry experts. Each entry was scored based on the product, the market analysis, the marketing plan, and the beef nutrition analysis. The 1st place classroom in each division will receive $250, sponsored by the New York Beef Council.